Announcement

Good morning,

Established in the year 2003 by the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government with the primary purpose of fostering standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable and inclusive development, as well as accelerated regional and continental integration, The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) debunked the notion that monitoring and evaluation tools made in Africa are flawed and exposed the ineffectiveness of the M&E tools originating from outside Africa as  ineffective due to their inherent design, accountability and ownership flaws.

APRM has been tested and proven that mechanisms designed and led by Africa stand a better chance of enabling decisions that empower citizens and support reforms. A practical example is how recommendations from the targeted review on youth unemployment in Namibia led to policy changes and the formation of the first Youth Investment Bank making Namibia one of the key countries promoting Youth Investment Banks in the continent with support of African Development Bank (AfDB).

By conducting Country Reviews and Targeted Reviews, producing and sharing timely reports, APRM accelerates African development through recommendations in order to foster improved governance, best practices and policies, socio-economic advancement, and continental cooperation as per Agenda 2063, the AU’s 50-year development plan to transform Africa into a fully integrated and productive continent by year 2063.

2023 will mark the 20th year since African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) came into birth and the 60th anniversary of the Organization of African Unity / African Union (OAU/AU).

Below are some of the most recent reports produced by APRM;

The APRM report on the technical support mission to Kenya on the challenges faced in engaging International Credit Rating Agencies (ICRAs), in reviews and in implementing recommendations. .

https://www.aprm-au.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/KENYA-Tech-Support-Mission-on-Int-CREDIT-REPORT-sm.pdf

 Economic Governance and Management is a major thematic pillar of the APRM and this report provides information on current developments in Economic Governance and explores ways to address challenges that hinder progress in the continent.

https://www.aprm-au.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Eng-Final-Report-on-Economic-Governance-Study-.pdf

This report provides information on current developments across the continent in Corporate Governance, which is a major thematic pillar of the APRM and explores ways to address challenges that hinder progress in African countries.

https://www.aprm-au.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Final-Report-of-Corporate-Governance-Study-FINAL-2022-.pdf

This 4th edition of the African Union - African Peer Review Mechanism  (AU-APRM) end of year bi-annual sovereign credit rating review report presents an analysis of the long-term foreign currency sovereign credit rating actions in Africa by three dominant international credit rating agencies –Moody’s, Fitch and S&P Global – during the second half of 2021 (2021H2) and makes recommendations to African countries on how to improve their ratings.

https://www.aprm-au.org/publications/african-soverign-credit-rating-review-2021-end-of-year-outlook/

The South Africa Review report addresses the five areas of governance including State Resilience as a theme that was added in the second generation review of South Africa.

https://www.aprm-au.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SA-2nd-Gen-Report-Key-Highlights.pdf

https://www.aprm-au.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Final-Report-of-Corporate-Governance-Study-FINAL-2022-.pdf

APRM Targeted Review Report on Youth Unemployment for the Republic of Namibia; https://www.aprm-au.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Namibia-des-TARGETED-REVIEW-REPORT.pdf

Good morning,

The ARUA Centre of Excellence for Unemployment and Skills Development is proud to announce its 3rd year in the project entitled ‘Youth Business and Innovation Challenge 2022 (YoBIC 3.0) - “Sustainable and Workable Solutions for Youth Unemployment in Africa.”

We invite youth from East Africa to participate in this innovative challenge.

The poster attached gives all the details and the registration link is https://cutt.ly/SAYOBIC. The contact persons for East Africa are from the University of Nairobi as follows: Prof. Jackson Maalu - jmaalu@uonbi.ac.ke  and Dr. Parita Shah parita@uonbi.ac.ke.

Kindly refer to the poster for more details on the application whose deadline is 20th March 2022.

Please apply in great numbers as you are the future of this great country and continent and innovation starts with you. 

One of the strategic objectives of the university is to increase the visibility and impact of the research output.

The university has implemented a digital repository with an aim to make the institutional research discoverable and accessible globally. Besides, there are other open access initiatives that can be adapted to enhance visibility of local research and improve ranking of the university.

 The university has developed an open journal system to manage institutional journals with an aim of making the research visible globally. However, the progress of implementation of the system has been slow. It is on this basis that the Library Department has organized an online training on “Publishing of Institutional Journals using Open Journal System (OJS)”. The training is scheduled on 25^th February 2022 from 10.00 AM to 12.00 PM (EAT).

 The aim of the training is to:

          I. Support implementation of OJS to increase visibility and accessibility of local research globally thus improving university ranking and collaboration.

        II.  Make open access publishing a viable option for the faculty staff to  increase readership as well as to contribute to the public good on a global scale

     III.   Encourage researchers to publish their articles in institutional scholarly journals.

The training will provide an overview of the fundamentals of using OJS. At the end of the training, participants will have knowledge to create and configure a new journal, understand the manuscript tracking system and editorial steps, create a journal issue, establish the submission process, and have an overview of how to manage OJS publishing for their local journals.

The training targets Faculty members, Editors, Peer-Reviewers, Administrators, Intellectual property staff, ICT staff, Librarians, Post-Graduate Students, Research managers and Researchers/authors.

 Below is the Training Link;

The Government of the People’s Republic of China is offering Twenty (20) scholarships for the academic year 2022/2023 for Undergraduate, Masters and Doctorial programs eligible to Kenyans.

A. ELIGIBILITY

Undergraduate

Applicant should meet the following requirements:

• Minimum KCSE mean Grade of B (plain)
• Not more than 25 years of age
• Have an original KCSE certificate
• Strong grades on major subjects that are key to the specialty preferred
• Completed secondary education in the last three (3) years

Masters

• Graduated with a Bachelors degree of at least Upper Second-Class honors for Masters
• Be under 35 years of age

PhD

• Be under 40 years of age.
• Hold a relevant Masters Degree from a recognized University.

 Read more on how to apply 

This scholarship programme is open  to young people  who are interested in a career in finance, between 19 to 30, from the following countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: Ethiopia Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and South Africa.

  ICMA scholarship programme 2022

As part of ICMA's mission to raise standards and support inclusion in financial markets, ICMA is offering scholarships for 2022 to individuals from a number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia-Pacific who are unable to pursue a financial qualification due to their economic circumstances.

Thirty-five (35) scholarships will be available to young people who are interested in a career in finance from the following countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe; and the following countries in Asia Pacific: India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

ICMA has been active in the aforementioned countries through its efforts to develop the local repo markets alongside capacity-building in partnership with a number of development institutions such as Frontclear in Africa and the Asian Development Bank in Asia.

The scholarships provide an opportunity to study for one of the ICMA Diplomas, namely:

• ICMA Diploma in Debt Capital Markets
• ICMA Diploma Securities & Derivatives
• ICMA Diploma in Financial Market Operations

Each diploma pathway includes taking the prescribed foundation and advanced level courses along with two specialist courses and/or ICMA workshops. This executive education programme is delivered in partnership with the ICMA Centre, Henley Business School, University of Reading.

These diplomas are internationally recognised qualifications taught by experienced market professionals which can kick-start a career in financial markets.

All the courses which make up the diplomas can be studied online over 12 months as a mix of self-study and virtual classroom programmes, and they include online exams. The ICMA scholarship will fully cover the course and examination fees for the relevant Diploma.
 
Candidates must be between 19 and 30 years old at time of application and may be in full-time education, working in finance already or looking to move into it.

A good level of education (but not necessarily a University degree), interest in financial markets and proficiency in English are necessary application criteria. 

How to apply

The deadline for submissions for the 2022 intake is 15 January 2022.

Eligibility criteria:

• Open to citizens of the following countries:
• Sub-Saharan Africa: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• Asia Pacific: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
• Candidates must be between 19 and 30 years old at time of application;
• Good level of education (not necessarily a University degree).

 
To start the process potential students must submit all of the following:

• a 500-word statement explaining their background, career plans, and why they should qualify for a scholarship;
• a Curriculum Vitae including your nationality and country of residence, full contact details;
• academic records and evidence of educational attainment;
• two reference letters including contact details of the persons providing them.

Details of the eligibility criteria as well as the steps to apply are detailed on our website: ICMA Scholarship Programme (icmagroup.org) I have also attached the details below.
 
Please feel free to contact allan.malvar@icmagroup.org or scholarships@icmagroup.org for any questions.

ICMA will be unable to consider applications that do not provide all of the four requirements listed above.

 Please take time to carefully read the eligibility criteria and required documentation before submitting your application. Kindly ensure that you send all requested documents in a single email, otherwise your submission will be rejected.
 
Due to the high volume of applications, we will not be able to reply to or consider any submissions which are incomplete.
 
Applications must be submitted to scholarships@icmagroup.org
 
The deadline for submissions for the 2022 intake is 15 January 2022.
 
About the selection process:
 
Candidates must meet the eligibility criteria;
A panel of ICMA staff will shortlist and make the final selection;
Selection is based on a number of factors, including academic merit, evidence of interest in financial markets, financial need, among others.
 
Scholarship outcomes:
Scholarship selection will take place in the last two weeks of January 2022 and shortlisted candidates may be called in for a further interview (to be conducted virtually);
Announcements of successful recipients will be made by mid-February 2022. If you have not heard from us by this date, then please assume that you have not been selected. We will be unable to contact unsuccessful applicants individually or provide feedback.
Successful recipients must complete the programme within 12 months of commencing their first course.
 
In addition, candidates must pass the exams for the foundation and advanced courses in order to move forward with the programme, failure to do so will invalidate the scholarship. ICMA will only cover exam fees once for each level.

Contact: scholarships@icmagroup.org
 
International Capital Market Association (ICMA)
ICMA promotes well-functioning cross-border capital markets, which are essential to fund sustainable economic growth. It is a not-for-profit membership association with offices in Zurich, London, Paris, Brussels and Hong Kong, serving more than 615 member firms in 65 jurisdictions. Among its members are private and official sector issuers, banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, pension funds, insurance companies, market infrastructure providers, central banks and law firms. It provides industry-driven standards and recommendations, prioritising four core fixed income market areas: primary, secondary, repo and collateral and sustainable finance. ICMA works with regulatory and governmental authorities, helping to ensure that financial regulation supports stable and efficient capital markets.
www.icmagroup.org

@ICMAgroup 

Good Morning, 

ESDA SUD will be undertaking a second beekeeping short course next year , January 17th - 29th 2022, You are invited to apply. see the poster attached for more details. 

The course registration link is as follows;

https://forms.gle/wQpUXu2PmMtanaD78

Good morning, 

The Committee on Fiscal Studies will run three  short courses. see the posters for more information. 

Good afternoon, 

Sustainable Management and Operations (SuMO) is a new three year PhD program. It is planned to be offered at the Kuehne Logistics University (KLU) through the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nairobi, by the Africa Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Operations for Resource Management and Food Supply. The program is through collaboration between University of Nairobi (UoN), University of Dar El Salaam (UDBS) and Kuehne Logistics University (KLU).

The program targets Junior Managers who will take leadership positions in future and those
wishing to pursue a career in academics. Successful candidates will learn from highly
interdisciplinary team drawn from professors and industry professionals in agribusiness,
operations management, supply chains, agricultural economics, business science and
sustainability. This will holistically equip them with skills and knowledge on sustainable
management which has been missing in the conventional business management trainings, making the program unique.

Who can apply?

One can apply for the SuMO PhD program scholarship if they meet the following criteria:
 An earned MSc, MA or related degree in agribusiness, agricultural economics, operations
management and, supply chains and related fields

 Outstanding academic performance with Second Class Upper Division and above for
undergraduate or equivalent GPA score
 Experience in undertaking qualitative and quantitative research in agribusiness, business,
supply chains, operations management, sustainability or related fields
 Excellent analytical and research skills with proficiency in research, econometric
modelling and in using at least one research software
 Excellent written and spoken English
 Desire to venture into an academic career

Application documents
Application documents to be submitted should include:
1. Motivation letter of not more than 1 page hand signed in Times New Romans, font 12 and
single spaced
2. Concept note of 3 pages clearly indicating your research topic, background, problem
statement, justification and methodology in Times New Romans, font 12 and single spaced
3. Copies of academic degrees
4. Copies of academic transcripts, incl. grading-scale
5. One letter of recommendation from a senior academic conversant with your academic
background (must have a letterhead, signature and official stamp and must be of recent
date)
6. One letter of recommendation from none academic referee conversant with your research
and industry work
7. Abstract of Masters level degree thesis
8. Copy of Curriculum Vitae
9. Evidence of any two publications

Program Overview
The PhD program will take three years on a full-time basis. The first year will be dedicated to
course work and at the same time, the candidate will be expected to develop their proposal with
support from the supervisors. The subsequent two years will be dedicated to research work
including data collection, analysis, preparation of publication papers and final thesis report. The program priority research areas are: Sustainability, Operations Management, Food/Agricultural Logistics and related subjects.
Supervision and support

The PhD candidate will have a supervisor from UoN, UDSM and an international professor from KLU or from the global KF academic network. They will also have many great opportunities to enhance their scientific and professional skills from the pool of professors and industry experts from the three universities and Kuenhe Foundation.
 

Publications
Publishing is essential for the program. Therefore candidates will be expected to publish at least two journal articles from their research work before graduating.
Scholarship
There will be a scholarship covering University tuition fee, living expenses and research.

Application contacts and deadlines
Application documents should be sent to mercyn@uonbi.ac.ke with a copy to
agecon@uonbi.ac.ke
The application deadline is 30th November 2021.